Congrats to our Burghardt Sporting Goods Athletes of the Month for April 2024, Emma Gabler (Girls Soccer) and Nathan Wise (Trapshooting); and for May 2024, Kieren Schindler (Track & Field) and Beckett Sabanosh (Baseball). These four wonderful student athletes set a good example for others and exhibit the greatest all around attributes of our Core Values: Relationships, Communication, Growth, Love & Biblical Truth and our #PillarsofAthletics: Faith, Excellence, Commitment and Character. #AOTM
 

Head Girls Soccer coach, Lindsey Bollmann said, "Emma is a true leader on the team and always has a positive attitude. She is coachable and a player every coach dreams of having on their team. She went above and beyond in the off-season, leading workouts and making sure her teammates were ready for the season. She is the most deserving of this award."

Head Trapshooting coach, Brad Patterson said, "Nathan has an excellent attendance record for our team sessions, and despite competing in two varsity level sports, attends many optional competition opportunities offered. As a team captain, Nathan has done an outstanding job relaying information, sharing his knowledge with our younger and less experienced athletes, and has been an excellent advocate for our team core values of "give effort, represent (Lord, team, self), and have fun".

Nathan has been very focused on not only his individual results, but also our team's results. He has helped set the tone for the team's expectations and has held his teammates accountable for those expectations. He has also held himself to those same expectations, so much so that in some cases he is harder on himself to be the example of how our athletes compete and represent.

No matter the case, Nathan stays positive, continues to work hard to learn, improve, and develop his shooting game. He takes coaching in a positive manner and works to apply what he is told from those coach to athlete conversations. Nathan always leads by example. He treats everyone with respect, he is fair to all he interacts with, he is respectful of his coaches and other officials. He competes hard but is humble in his results. Is a perfect example of what we want all our Trapshooting Team athletes to be."

Head Track & Field Coach, Danielle Hawkins said, "Kieran is a 4-year varsity track and field athlete who dedicates the entire year to working on this sport through our school team as well as club indoor/outdoor seasons. He is a hard worker and leads by example. He has been to state as a sophomore, junior, and hoping to return this season. He has been a part of a conference championship team and is one of the athletes who broke the school record in the 4x2 relay. He is continuing his track and field career next year at UW-Milwaukee

Head Baseball Coach, Chad Janetzke said, Beckett is the epitome of a servant leader that we strive for all our SPARTANS to be. He is one of the best encouragers of his teammates, is always willing to step up and assist with TEAM responsibilities. Even in dealing with a recent injury, Beckett continues to show up and find ways to be help his teammates at practices and games. He is also a prime example of an athlete who continues to improve and takes coaching. His .353 batting average for the month of April, while playing a variety of defensive positions, was one of the best on the team. He is also well respected by teammates, classmates, coaches, and teachers because he cares for others before himself. Beckett Sabanosh is the personification of what we expect a SPARTAN to be.

Martin Luther High School recognizes an Athlete of the Month each month of the school year. Using the selection criteria below, the coaching staff of each varsity sport being played during any given month will nominate one individual in a sport being played that month. The ML Admin team will select a winner from the pool of nominees based on the selection criteria below in addition to performance statistics from competitions during that month.

Athlete of the Month selection will be based on the following criteria based of our core values:

• Relationships
  • Commitment (toward practices, games and continued improvement)
  • Teamwork
• Communication
  • Focus and Discipline
  • Accountability for oneself and others
• Growth
  • Positive attitude and enthusiasm for their sport both on and off the field/court
  • Work Ethic
  • Willingness to learn (coachability)
  • Perseverance (overcoming challenges)
• Love
  • Sportsmanship (respect coaches, officials, opponents, teammates)
  • Honesty (playing by rules, character)
• Biblical Truth
  • Community service and involvement
  • Demonstrates their faith on a consistent basis.

It should be noted that the Athlete of the Month may not merely be the “star” player, but rather a team member who sets a good example for others and exhibits the greatest all around attributes of our core values.